Maturity
by hyperoo
Summary: Ten years have passed since the war has ended and the Gaang has grown up and learned from their past. Zutara, Kataang, Maiko, Hazula, Taang, Sukka Disclaimer: Don't Avatar: the Last Airbender, it is property of Viacom. I make no money off of this
1. Chapter 1

Katara smiled as she looked down, they had finally arrived at the palace of the Fire Lord

Katara smiled as she looked down, they had finally arrived at the palace of the Fire Lord. While it had only been a few weeks, the journey on Appa had seemed to take forever. She looked over at Aang and Mugi, a smile reaching all the way to her eyes; their son was beautiful, even if he was bald. A small coo came from the bundle in her arms; Kaya was starting to wake-up. No matter how bumpy the flights got, she wouldn't stir, but as soon as they were stable, the baby waterbender would get fussy.

Attendants rushed to help the Ambassadors down and tend to Appa, all of them making sure to bow in respect. A light crimson spread across Katara's face, she would never get used to such attention. The two of them proceeded down the front hall of the palace, Katara lightly rocking Kaya as they walked. Aang looked lovingly at the baby, hoping her eyes would stay as blue as her mother's.

Mugi tugged at his father's hand, wanting to be picked up and held as Kaya.

"Mugi" Katara said, "don't pull at your father. You're seven now, too old to be held like a baby."

He crossed his arms and pouted, a face that always caused his parents to laugh. He looked so much like Aang, Katara couldn't help but remember their times together. She thought back to the time when they weren't yet adults but still beyond children. The war had ended and the two of them had travelled on diplomatic missions all over the world together. And like many still caught in the passions of childhood, they played games, each time the game went further and further. Eventually, Mugi was born.

Katara looked ahead; Zuko and Mai were walking towards them, talking and laughing while Mai held the five year old prince.

"Mommy!" Prince Kozu called when he saw Katara

He started fussing and fidgeting until Lady Mai let him down. The little prince threw his arms around his mother, burying his face in the blue furs of her Water Tribe robes.

"You smell like ice"

"I wonder why," Katara replied

Kozu looked up and giggled, he had always wanted to go visit his Uncle Sokka, but was told he needed to wait a little longer. There was still bad blood between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes, even after Zuko and Katara's marriage.

Mai walked up to Katara and bowed her head.

"How was your trip Empress?" she asked

"Tiring. Mai, would you take Kaya and have her bathed? Appa licked her."

Taking the small baby into her arms, Mai walked towards the royal bath house, fully aware that the servants watched her with anger filled eyes. They blamed her for the Fire Lord marrying a Waterbender, insisting that she just wasn't able to show him how passionate a lady of the Fire Nation could be. But it wasn't that, not at all. She and Zuko had simply grown up. There had always been affection between them, but as they got older it had changed to friendship, the kind of friendship you don't ruin by getting married.

The same thing had happened between Aang and Katara. Once they really did love each other, but as they grew, it changed; they changed. They knew they would never make each other happy. Aang was the Avatar and would always be there for everyone, except her.


	2. Chapter 2

Mai walked towards the royal nursey, her amrs protectively around the princesses small body

Mai walked towards the royal nursery, her arms protectively around the princess's small body. She was absolutely beautiful, and obviously Zuko's child, no matter what the Roh party said. Yes, her eyes were the color of mystic topaz, her hair more brown like Katara's than Zuko's black and her skin wasn't the milky white his was. But, her features were all Fire Nation. While Katara had soft feminine features, Kaya's were much sharper. Instead of large, almond shaped eyes, they were narrow like a cat's, her chin and nose more pointed and her cheekbones high. She would be an exotic beauty someday.

Mai smiled at herself, she was glad Katara had been the one to give birth to Zuko's heirs. Mai had no intention of ever having children. The process was just so… messy. Although she _was_ on her way to bathe the child, somehow she had gotten herself roped into helping raise his children anyway.

Mai looked up; a small rustling sound came from the nursery. The door was ajar.

"Hello?" she called as she pushed the door open.

"Oh! Lady Mai"

The servant Xen was in the process of folding diapers and putting them into a cabinet.

"You startled me"

Mai smiled warmly, "I'm sorry, I was just brining the princess in for her bath"

"Then I will get out of your way"

Xen bowed and walked toward the door.

"Oh Xen?" Mai called

"Yes Lady Mai? AHHH!"

Xen screamed as small blades came at her, pinning her arms to the wall. She looked down to her right, a fine white powder was leaking out of the tear in her sleeve.

"What's the matter?" Mai snapped "Couldn't look your victim in the eye as you killed her?"

Xen glared at Mai, "She's not worth it! That filthy waterbender, born of the same blood as Sozin. She's impure! A taint on his perfect bloodline!"

"Sozin was insane" Mai said calmly "He started a war that almost destroyed the world."

"No! He was a visionary! His war would've perfected the world! And his vision will live on!"

Xen shrieked and ripped the delicate silk of her robes away from the wall, pulled out a knife and charged at Mai and Kaya. With a simple flick of her wrist, Mai ended the would-be battle. Xen fell to her knees, clutching the knife lodged in her throat, desperately trying to hold the blood in as she felt her life fade away.

Mai looked down at Kaya; she had slept through it all. She would have no bloody memory of the murder committed in her name.


	3. Chapter 3

The guards came rushing in just as the life faded from Xing's eyes.

"Lady Mai!" The first one said, "Are you all right? We heard a scream and-"

The unspoken words died in his throat when he saw the servant girl on the nursery floor, a small pool of blood forming around her head. The guard looked up at Mai, obviously surprised at the skill of not only a Lady of the Court but a non bender as well. Lady Mai had dispatched the assassin not only alone, but while holding the princess.

"Remove her!" Mai ordered

The last thing she wanted was for Kaya to wake-up and notice her nursemaid dead on the floor. Yes, she was still young. But there was no guarantee she wouldn't remember something so gruesome. The guards went to work, pulling the body of the floor and starting to wrap it in a red linen sheet.

"What's going on in here?" A familiar voice called

Mai gulped as she looked over and saw Empress Katara walk into the nursery. An attempt on her daughter's life was the last thing she needed to know about, much less see the gruesome results of it.

Katara shrieked as she not only saw the sheet wrapped body, but also slipped in the puddle of blood, her delicate Fire Nation slippers not made with friction in mind. The guards dropped the body of the traitor and hurried to catch their Empress before she hit the floor. Xing's body fell out and her lifeless eyes gazed up at the Empress, almost as if to say it was her fault. If a Waterbender hadn't married the Fire Lord, if she hadn't given birth to a Waterbender, if she had been smart enough to know Fire and Water don't mix, this sixteen year old child would still be alive.

These were the thoughts Katara struggled with every day. This hadn't been the first attempt and it wouldn't be the last. Every time it happened someone was put to death, some one's life was cut short, some one had to die. Isn't that the opposite of what they had fought so hard for? Hadn't they ended the war so events such as this would never happen again?

Katara regained her footing and reached for Kaya. She knew she was shaky and was most likely going to be ill, but she needed to hold her daughter in her arms and know she was safe. She took Kaya from Mai and quickly turned away from the gruesome display in front of her. A part of her wanted to spit on and defile the body of this traitor who thought to take her daughter away from her, but the rest of her knew better, this child, no matter how misguided she was, believed she was doing good. To her Katara was the evil one, and Katara remembered a time when all of the Fire Nation was like this.

They thrived on the attention of their misdeeds, knowing that any negative reaction from their victims only gave them more reason to hate them. Gave them more reason to think Katara was the one who had done wrong.

Katara signaled to Mai and they left the room, Katara leaning on Mai as they made their way to the royal suite. When they got to the door, Katara handed Kaya to Mai. She was going to be ill and she knew better than too try to hold her child in the process.

"What is it?" Fire Lord Zuko asked when he saw his wife rush past him into the bathroom.

Katara fell to her knees in front of the porcelain basin and let everything come up, tears streaming down her face the whole time.

"Katara" Zuko whispered, not sure what to do.

"It's alright." A voice called

He turned around and saw Mai standing in the doorway, Kaya in her arms.

"What happened?"

An odd look crossed Mai's face, almost as if she wasn't sure how to tell him and at the same time knew exactly how she would.

"An attempt on Kaya's life in the nursery," Mai said coolly "her nursemaid Xing attempted to poison her diapers."

Zuko's eyes widened, yes there had been attempts on his and his families lives before, but none had ever gotten so close. And Xing, she was General Hee's daughter! One of his most trusted advisors! Zuko closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Any such attempt usually meant punishment of the assassins entire family, but he couldn't arrest General Hee. Of course, they had known that, that's probably why whoever planned this recruited her.

He looked over at Katara; she had stood up, though rather shakily, and was walking towards Mai with her arms out, obviously wanting Kaya. Mai handed the baby to her mother and stepped back, a display of emotions was coming and she didn't want to be in hugging distance.

Katara looked down at her sleeping daughter, her tiny hand balled into a fist, thumb in her mouth. Too think anyone would want to harm such a perfect, innocent little creature. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she thought of what could've happened. Pictures of Kaya lying lifeless on a funeral pillar, Katara in white as the Fire Sages burned her daughters body to ash.

Zuko reached over and wrapped his arms around them. He knew what was going through her head, and he wasn't surprised, she had a tendency to think the worst with situations like this. She was usually so hopeful, but when things hit too close to home it got hard to be optimistic.

Zuko stood there for the next few minutes, refusing to let go of the two most important women in his life.


	4. Chapter 4

"We'll send you away again, at least until we find who's responsible for recruiting Xing." Zuko said

Katara sharply pulled away from her husband and turned her back to him, she had hoped he was beyond such foolish actions. She had just spent the last three weeks in the Southern Water Tribe pretending to undergo some tribal ceremony to honor the birth of her daughter because of such an attempt. She hated running and hiding, and lately that's all Zuko wanted her to do.

"Is that your answer to everything?" Katara said "To run and hide until it's now or never?"

"What?" Zuko said to Katara's back "They can't assassin someone who isn't here to be a target. It'll only be for a little while. You can go to the Earth Kingdom and stay with Toph. She can have some of her Dai Li agents guard you."

"And what about the next attempt, or the one after that? Am I just going to hide out until they decide to accept me?"

Zuko sighed, he loved his wife, very dearly, but it wasn't an easy marriage. He had known it wouldn't be, they were very different and yet too much alike. Their fights were legendary amongst the palace servants, almost as legendary as the nights of making up that followed. It was a constant up and down and sometimes they wondered if love truly was enough. But they also completed each other. Zuko knew when to take action when Katara would rather talk things out and Katara was his anchor that made him see reason when his temper flared.

They were true equals, beyond all societal boundaries, and that was what they had always wanted. No pointless mind games and guessing what the other wanted, no giving everything they had without being asked and then being bitter when the other didn't return the love/affection/favor they had received without really understanding why it had been given in the first place. Yes, saying what they wanted and being so blunt caused many disagreements, but no matter how loud they shouted, they always listened to each other.

Zuko just didn't want to listen at this exact moment. He wanted to exercise his right as Fire Lord to command his household in whatever way he wished, (regardless of how pointless the attempt would be) and make her do as he ordered. But he knew she was right, sending his family away whenever an attempt was made on their lives was a show of weakness. He just didn't know what else to do. The only people in the Fire Nation he truly trusted with his family were Mai and her husband sword-master Piando and that was only because he knew where their loyalties lie and why.

"Mai?" Zuko called out into the hallway "Will you take Kaya for a little while?"

"What?" Katara said clutching her (thankfully living) daughter

"So we can discuss things."

Katara sighed and nodded, she had a feeling things would get heated and didn't want to disturb her daughter, Spirits know Kozu had enough nightmares of Mommy and Daddy's "discussions". (Katara just wished he wouldn't repeat some of the more inappropriate words they used.)

Mai came in and took Kaya from her (still green colored) mother and headed towards her personal suite. She always restocked everything in there herself so she knew it was safe. (Though that didn't stop her from checking anyway.) She could bathe Kaya in her bathroom without much worry.

"Now" Katara said "I need you to listen to reason. You and I both know that sending me away show's The Traditionalists exactly how important I am to you."

"Exactly!" Zuko snapped "When they realize I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, even if it means calling in favors from every person of power of in the world they'll eventually see-"

"No," Katara interrupted "they won't. The Traditionalists want me gone, if half-hearted assassination attempts cause you to keep sending me away, they're still getting what they want. Me and Kaya: gone! Kozu's the only Firebender that's heir to throne and a direct descendant of Sozin's line. Azula and Haru's daughter is an Earhtbender, she's useless to them. They want Kozu here and Kaya gone. We need to concentrate on keeping everyone safe in the palace."

"How?!" Zuko shouted, his temper finally shattering reason "The only ones we can really trust in the Fire Nation are Mai and Piando, and they're only two people! They can only do so much!"

"Exactly! Which is why we should get help from outside of the Fire Nation."

"What?"

"Instead of sending me to the Dai Li, have Toph send some here. The Dai Li are no longer the "cultural guardians" they used to be. Their main mission is keeping random bands of angry Earth Kingdom inhabitants from starting another war. This is a part of their mission."

"No! The Dai Li working for the Fire Lord again would bring to many suspicions, I can't risk it."

"Then the Kyoshi Warriors" Katara suggested "While they're technically a part of the Dai Li now, Ty Lee is their leader and a Fire Nation Noble. That would cause fewer suspicions, and you seem to be forgetting who I am."

"Forget?" Zuko said "I'm more than aware of the fact that I'm married to the most powerful Waterbender in the world. I have the scars to prove it."

Katara chuckled at the mention of scars; it had become more of a joke at this point. Zuko always said every scar was given to him for a reason, whether it was to follow his destiny or remind him not to sneak-up on Katara in the bath.

"No," Katara said with a smirk "I'm the mother of the Avatar's child, the best friend of Toph Bei Fong, daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, sister to the next and granddaughter to the most respected Waterbending Teacher in the world. I symbolize a trusted connection between all the nations. In a way I'm more important than you are."

A sour look crossed Zuko's face. It was a fact his ego despised, but couldn't deny.

"So" he said "That just makes you a bigger target."

"It also makes me invaluable to the other nations, which means they would gladly send a few of their warriors as body guards."

"I don't want to ask that of them" Zuko sighed "I don't feel I have the right."

Katara walked over to her husband and gently touched his cheek; he took her hand and pressed his lips into her palm. He loved her hands, they were so skilled and yet so delicate. He knew first hand of the pain or pleasure they could easily deal and that made him enjoy them all the more.

"I know" Katara said "But they would understand. An attempt on my life is an attack at my tribes, and a direct insult to the Bei Fongs as well as the Avatar. By assassinating Kaya and myself their hitting every target. And this will show them we won't give up the peace we fought so long and hard for. We won't run scared; we'll stand and fight just like we did before."

Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara, she was right. Truth be told it always surprised him how well she thought things through. She had picked up on the delicacies of politics so quickly it was hard to believe she came from such a small village. Katara was right, he knew it and she knew it. He leaned down and kissed her. This would let her know he agreed with her, no reason to actually say the word out loud and this was much more pleasurable.


	5. Chapter 5

Once again, Mai carried Princess Kaya down the hall, holding the infant in her left arm while holding three stilettos in her right hand; her long sleeve concealing them. While she wasn't worried about another attempt so soon, it was entirely possible. Thankfully the walk to her suite was uneventful; the servants (having most likely heard of how quickly she had dispatched Xin without a second thought) all made sure to stop as she walked by and bow lower than required.

Mai walked up to her door and lightly knocked, if Piando was playing "Pai Sho", she knew better then to just walk in. A few seconds later Piando answered the door, a smile on his face and a sword in his hand. He was expecting Mai to be busy with the royal family all day. As their close friend and personal body guard, (more the children's, the Firelord and Empress could easily take care of themselves) she spent much of her time with them. Especially Zuko. Not Piando minded, he knew Mai and Zuko were no longer romantically involved. After going through so many life changing events together, it was only natural for them to be so close.

"Bringing your work home?" Piando enquired, looking down at Kaya.

"Zuko and Katara needed to "discuss" something's." Mai said with a stoic face but amused tone. "They didn't want Kaya to hear them."

Piando snickered at that, especially since he knew by now they were most likely making-up. If it had been anything else part of the palace would be on fire by now while simultaneously all the water would boiling.

"Those two really do hit each other in just the right and wrong ways, don't they." Piando said

"Of course, it would be too boring around here if they didn't. Now, may I come into my own room?"

Piando stepped back and pulled the door open for his young wife. True, he was thirty years her senior, but that never really bothered them. Not much did, that's what made their marriage work; they had both learned long ago to rise above what others wanted for them and seek their own happiness.

When Piando had met Mai, it was like meeting a kindred spirit. Someone that actually got it. Mai was someone full of passions without having to needlessly express them. She was a very precise person and cut straight to the heart of everything, (literally and figuratively) knowing that pointless words and actions were a waste of her time and energy.

A skilled fighter and strategist, Mai had complete faith in herself and didn't boast her abilities verbally. She didn't need to, she knew.

When she was eighteen Mai had met Master Piando at a dinner held in honor of General Iroh, while still with Zuko at the time she couldn't keep her attention away from this man that was old enough to be her father! In fact, he was older than her father, but unlike her father Piando was intelligent. He didn't scrape and grovel to earn his power and wealth, he had been cunning and swift and hadn't gone out of his way to hurt or destroy anyone on the way up.

Something unheard of in the Fire Nation. There was a saying, "You can measure a mans true power by the dreams he's shattered." A common belief in politics of the Fire Nation, Mai had seen her parents rob families of fortunes and prestige with a few well chosen words and scratched backs. That her family was responsible for literally putting innocent mothers and children on the street after putting their fathers and husbands in prison for doing the exact same thing was something that always made her feel ashamed.

Mai walked past Piando and headed for the bathroom, she still needed to bathe Kaya. Piando set his sword on the display and followed her, wanting to enjoy this extra time with his love.

When he arrived, the water was running and Mai was disrobing; having decided to save some time and bath with her. This would save her (and her silk robes) from getting splashed. Well, it would at least save her robes. Piando walked over to the cabinet that he and Mai personally stocked and removed a few towels, some bath oils and a dried loofah fruit. He set them by the large bathtub and started to remove his own clothing.

"Who says you were invited?" Mai teased in a monotone voice

"Well if you want to scrub your own back?"

A half smile formed on Mai's face as she sank into the hot water and turned off the faucet. Kaya was still sound asleep and the last thing she wanted to do was bathe a cranky baby. The princess could stay sticky until she woke-up, even if it did mean that Mai would have to sacrifice her favorite outfit. She had just killed someone, she deserved time away from reality and with someone she could trust.

Piando climbed in and situated himself behind her, letting the hot water relax his sore muscles. He had spent the better part of the day near a hot furnace pounding metal into a new pair of broadswords for the Fire Lord, and while a cold bath would be more refreshing, it would cause his back and arms to cramp up.

Leaning back against her husband, Mai took a deep breath and tried to relax. It always bothered her when she had to take a life, made her feel as if she was no better than her parents. Piando had heard of the incident and knew what she was thinking. He reached over and put his hand over hers on the outer edge of the tub. They lay in the soothing water together, letting their injuries of the day heal as best they could.


	6. Chapter 6

(AN: I rewrote chapter 6 after realizing how unrealistic it was. The Fire Lord and Empress would never dress themselves, that's what servants are for. It gets tedious, but I'm sure dressing royalty in over priced clothing would after awhile. Please Enjoy!)

Katara opened her eyes and looked at her husband, he was sound asleep. No surprise there, he always got tired afterwards. She sat up and reached for the red silk robe on the table next to the bed. While they were entirely alone. Katara didn't want to walk around naked and risk Zuko waking up and seeing her. It was only two o'clock and Zuko most likely had much to do.

Katara, not so much. For the first few years after the war she had been busier than any other time in her life. First she had gone to the Temple of The Water Maidens, once the center of spirituality for the southern tribe and the place for Waterbenders to learn healing the raids had left it dark and empty; but still standing. In fact, no matter what the Fire Nation had done they couldn't destroy the building. Many had considered it haunted with the spirits of the priestesses that had died defending it. For almost sixty years it had stood empty, you needed to be a female Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe to be able to open the doors and there hadn't been one for a very long time. Katara had passed the trials and opened the doors; inside she found the lost history of her tribe as well as scrolls and murals depicting the Southern Traditions. They were very similar to the Northern Traditions except they were much more aggressive. She had spent months pouring over the information, learning the Southern Traditions as well as the lore's, prayers and even the founding of her tribe by Princess Himiko over two millennia ago. But what caught her eye the most were the paintings and maps of the cities and villages that had existed before the war. The city of Qannik with its theatres and markets, the fishing village of Nami where women would dive a hundred feet down, naked for seaweed, oysters, clams and pearls, Mine which had been the name of her village once upon a time. It had been the capital and military stronghold. where all of the Waterbenders and Warriors went for combat training. And then there was Kesuk, where the temples and shrines to the water spirits and others had been.

After learning all of this, Katara began training. After a few months she was able to pass the next level of trials and become an acolyte. Every winter she returned to once again to study, train and test herself. After nearly ten years she was finally a Priestess.

After becoming an Acolyte, she became an official diplomat of the tribe and traveled the world with Aang until Mugi was born. By then the Air Nomads had come out of hiding and insisted that she give them her son. He was an Airbender and there were so few left. It had broken her heart but she had understood. After weaning Mugi she had agreed to let them raise him on the condition he would know who his mother and her people were. They were also to let her take him to her tribe for their traditions and festivals. They had begrudgingly agreed to this.

Afterwards, Katara had left the Western Air Temple for home when she decided to make a detour and visit Fire Lord Zuko. They would spend the next few months falling love with each other.

Katara smiled at the memories, it had all been difficult but worth it. She wouldn't be the person she was today without all of those experiences and in just a few years the new Waterbenders of her tribe would be ready to begin training in the temple and learn the Southern Traditions. While she loved her palace home the South Pole never left her heart.

"You're awake." Zuko said as Katara finished tying the robe closed. "Good, we have a meeting with the Council of Generals today. Well, I have a meeting, but since you're here you should come as well."

Katara sighed, she hated talking to the Council of Generals, they were all Fire Nation elitist who looked down on the Empress Consort. That title didn't help either, since she wasn't a Firebender she couldn't legally be in line for the throne so the title of Fire Lady had been refused to her. Being referred to as Empress Consort made her feel like she was some kind of concubine. But she did technically have the same rank as her husband.

Though that was a laugh since she was far above him everywhere else in the world. And the robes she wore to the meeting would reflect that, which was half the reason Katara didn't want to go; all of the heavy clothing and jewelry she would have to wear.

Katara pulled a blue and silver silk rope next to the bed; a series of chimes rang out in the air and summoned her maids. Zuko pulled the red and gold rope on his side, calling his servants as well. Katara walked out of the main bed chamber to a small dressing room just to the left of the sitting room in the Royal Suite.

Zuko and Katara shared a bed every night, something unheard of before the war. The Fire Lord always had his own (much more opulent) room, separate from his wife. Zuko saw no reason for this. Especially since the most common reason the Fire Lord had his own room was so that he could bring lovers or courtiers to his bed and his wife would not be put out. Fire Lord Zuko had no need for such women. Especially when his wife such a skilled Bloodbender.

While they shared the bed chamber and main sitting room, they each had their own private areas off to the sides of the suite. Katara had her dressing room to the left as well as her study and library. It was large, the floor was blue tile with intricate silver tribal designs decorating the trim and tables made of blue glass with dark blue zabutons to resemble her home. Seal turtle and penguin hides decorated the walls as well as a large leather map of the Southern Water Tribe below a glass decoration in the shape of the seal of the Water Tribes. But most important were the glass and silver shelves lined with scrolls and books. This literature was hand written copies of everything in the Southern Water Tribe temple, one of the duties of an Acolyte was to copy the scrolls so they would understand and respect the history of their tribe. Katara had finished a few years ago and was now adding the history of the Northern Water Tribe to her collection.

To the right was Zuko's dressing room and study. More a place to meditate than work, it was decorated in warm red and gold tones with the Fire Nation Emblem blazing proudly on the wall. On a small, ebony table just below the emblem sat four black taper candles and an incense burner. A black and gold zafu sat in the center of the room. Over the entry way were his Dao Swords. They reminded Zuko to leave his anger and desire to fight behind him when he entered his small sanctuary. They were also a symbol of balance that he would look to in times of doubt. The room was scarcely decorated and resembled his small quarters during his exile. It was were he went to clear his head, relax his body and humble his spirit.

The main door to the suite opened, Katara's maids and Zuko's servants walked in and forked in the directions of their separate masters. The servants entered the red and gold dressing room of the Fire Lord, splitting into two groups; one retrieved his formal robes while the other washed away the proof of the his recent activities with a wash cloth and bowl of hot water.

Zuko stood patiently as they patted him dry and rubbed scented oils on his body. Even when some of their hands rubbed over places that would make most men uncomfortable, Zuko kept his stoic expression. He had been dressed by others most of his life and it never bothered him. Even though he would never admit it, dressing himself during his exile had been the most tedious experience of his life and he had hated it.

The servants replaced his under garments with fresh ones and started the intricate process of actually dressing the Fire Lord. Every knot had to be tied a certain way, every crease even and symmetrical. There could be no mistakes. Zuko then sat down at his dressing table as his hair; beard and mustache were combed out. Zuko tried not to laugh at his reflection. A grown man having servants comb his facial hair. He was glad Katara was dressed in separate room; this was something she would tease him about mercilessly.

Though Katara had no room to talk. When the maids entered her dressing room they began a similar ritual. They washed the scents and substance of Zuko away and replaced it with sweet scented oils, making the Empress blush with embarrassment as they rubbed over her breasts and in between her legs. Katara's breasts and hips were wrapped in soft cotton; she was then put into a hiyoku made of pale blue silk. The maids then started dressing her in her formal robes. The robes were made of the finest silk and dyed a deep red/purple with dark blue lining. Instead of the wide collar that would cover her shoulders, Katara's robes had a stiff, multi layered collar that disappeared under the top layer of the outfit. More in the style of the Water Tribes than the Fire Nation, Katara had tried very hard to find balance, but the collar was hard to compromise. Her obi was decorated with blue flames that swirled around and resembled water. Next came the jewelry. First her crown, a small hair ornament in the shape of a flame with the crest of the Water Tribe cast in silver in the middle, a betrothal gift from Zuko whom had made it himself. After the top knot came Katara's hair loopies. Decorated with two small gold beads with silver lining, they pulled back and weaved into a braid in her hair. The pair of gold bracelets with the crest of the Bei Fong Family were put on her wrists. After the war Toph's parents had adopted Katara, Aang and Sokka into their family. This gave them status in the Earth Kingdom and Toph's parents access to their whereabouts should their daughter go missing again. A belt made of wooden beads was wrapped around her obi. It was from the Air Nomads, as mother of Avatar Aang's child she was given status (begrudgingly) at the temples. Last came her mothers necklace, a black choker made of soft leather and a beautiful blue stone, it was her greatest treasure.

Katara stepped back and admired herself, she was perfect balance.


End file.
